CEC Girls Tie White Bear Lake

Chris Shevich-NSO

For Additional Photos Click Here To View Our Photo Gallery

Jan 16

Kerry Rodd-NSO

CLOQUET – It took a ton of leadership and composure, but eventually the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton girls hockey team found a way to fight for a 2-2 tie against a very talented White Bear Lake team on Saturday night. The Bears came in with a gaudy 13-2-2 record and a top 10 ranking as well as unbelievable skill, great team depth and speed. In the end, the gutty Jacks somehow found a way to tie the Bears and prove that they will be a team to contend with.

In the first period, the Bears dominated CEC, allowing only four shots on goal while scoring one themselves against Jacks netminder Sarah Gustafson, who had a spectacular performance yet again. The only goal in the period was scored by Haley Hill with assists going to Maddie Marcotte and Morgan Johnson at 13:03 of the first period.

Led by senior captain Courtney Esse, the Jacks composed themselves coming out in the second period against the quick and rugged Bears. Esse seemed to set the tone for the Jacks with her intensity level on the puck as well as her ability to not retaliate despite having numerous opportunities to do so. The energy led the Jacks to increase their tempo of play and push the Bears into taking some penalties; CEC capitalized on their chances with the extra attacker. At 8:31 of the second period the Jacks tied the game on a goal by Melissa Clark with Callie Halvorson assisting on the power play. Then it was Clark again scoring with the man advantage at 12:39 on a slap shot from the point by the talented 8th grade defenseman for CEC, Carley Esse. Clark tipped Esse’s blast from the point with the other assist going to Jessie Ryan as CEC held a 2-1 lead after two periods.

The Bears came out charging hard in the third period, but again the Jacks weathered the storm and allowed Sarah Gustafson enough room to stop the offensive surge by White Bear Lake. Finally, at 8:01 the Bears countered with a goal by Taylor Thompson to tie the game at 2-2, but that would be all the scoring the rest of regulation and in overtime.

What was difficult to watch for this reporter was the perceived lack of self control at times for the Bears. It all started during the national anthem as the Jacks stood at attention and the Bears players fidgeted, looked around and talked to each other. This reporter was standing near the blue line that the Bears were positioned on during the anthem and many of the players for WBL were laughing, talking and paying little attention to our national anthem. The Bears took 6 penalties to only 2 for the Jacks, but it was the type of penalties that were called on White Bear Lake that would bother most coaches. They were checking, boarding, tripping, high sticking and hooking penalties. In fact, the last penalty was called in overtime when a WBL player decided to pop the CEC goalie in the head with a high stick well after the goalie had made the save and was already turning away from the play. It is that lack of discipline that could perhaps hurt what may be as talented a team as this reporter has ever seen in high school girls hockey. Remember, both CEC goals came on the power play.

While the Bears were being called for penalties that bordered on being out of control, the Jacks were called for one trip and one hold. The one trip occurred behind the CEC net when a Jacks defender tried to poke check a puck away from a Bears player and the WBL player stepped on her stick. The other penalty was when a CEC defender got tangled up with a Bear forward and tried to get inside her, ending up grabbing a hold of the jersey. In other words, they came with the flow of the game.

In the end, it was a nail biter at the close of the game and the Jacks are probably happy they came away with a 2-2 tie against such a wonderfully gifted team of White Bear Lake.

Kerry Rodd can be reached at kerry@northlandsportsonline.com